EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon linebacker Jeffrey Bassa is locked in as the Ducks prepare for a crucial matchup against Washington. For Bassa, the game carries immense significance, not just for him but for those who came before him in the program. “It means a lot. It means a lot to the people that have came before me, like all the alumni. I know it means a lot to the state of Oregon, the Pacific Northwest,” Bassa said. “And, yeah, no, it’s just like, you know, facing these guys the past three times have not come out to the result that we wanted. It’s been, you know, as we all know, last year was real close game. So, you know, we’re we know what’s ahead of us and, you know, we’re focused on this week tremendously. So got to take care of business.”
The losses in recent years haven’t been easy to shake. “Yeah, a little bit. Yeah, you always feel, you know, that sour taste in the back of your mouth, even though that we know that it’s not the same, the same team from last year, you know, it’s still the same program,” he said.
Bassa has seen the program evolve since head coach Dan Lanning’s arrival, having stayed with the team through the transition and bought into the vision. “Yeah, no, I think that just, you know, shows great examples of growth. One of our DNA traits, you know, first year was kind of up and down and then, you know, the next year getting better and better. And then, you know, this year we’re putting it all together. Right. So just dialing in, just dialing it all in and, you know, paying attention to the details and just getting better each week and, you know, each year as well.”
For Bassa, the experience has been transformative. “It’s been great. You know, it’s been it’s been great. I’ve developed as a man on and off the field. And then as well, just meeting new people, just like you said, with the transfer portal, having an opportunity to leave, come back, whatnot. But, you know, it’s been great meeting a whole lot of new teammates and then, you know, just developing bonds and relationships with these coaches as well.”
He’s also one of the few players left from the 2021 team, which was the last Oregon squad to beat Washington. “Yeah, no, it’s that new day and age of college football. You know, a lot of guys leaving, especially from my class, that are up to, you know, greater things now. But, you know, it is kind of crazy. It is kind of crazy that, you know, I’m one of the few guys, like me, T-Ferg, Luke Basso, you know, especially from my class. But, you know, I guess we can kind of — we can still relate to, you know, that first win that we had my freshman year. You know, kind of just tell guys about the experience, about the rivalry. You know, there’s some guys that are new on this team, obviously, that weren’t a part of the rivalry before. So, you know, kind of just giving them information on how much this game really means.”
As for the possibility of ending his career with four straight losses to the Huskies, Bassa dismissed any focus on that narrative. “Yeah, I don’t even think that’s the real narrative, not to focus on, you know, the past records. Like, we’ll focus on the moment being where our feet are right now. You know, like I said previously, you know, it’s a new team, but it’s the same program. So we’re still going to have the same mentality that we had, you know, for the same past couple of years. It’s not even that, OK, we can’t, we’re not going to play to lose to, oh, let’s not be 0-4 against, you know, in the recent years. You know, we’re just going to be dialed in, you know, focused on the game at hand, each play at hand.”
Bassa has a clear vision of the legacy he hopes to leave behind at Oregon. “Yeah, I want to be known as, you know, one of the best linebackers to come through Oregon, you know, on and off the field. One of the best communicators to come to come through Oregon and, you know, just one of the best leaders to come to come to this program as well. I think that I’ve been doing a great job of that so far. You know, my my legacy here is, you know, not, you know, very far from over. But, yeah, that’s what I want to be known for. Just a dominant linebacker that, you know, could, you know, was great at tackling, great at, you know, being a leader as well. And then a guy that, you know, a lot of people looked up to as well.”
The rivalry itself adds fuel to his motivation. “Yeah, for sure. I would have to say, yeah, it’s for sure more intense with guys that have came back or guys that were here before on the team last year. Excuse me. But just like I said, just giving them more information to the guys that are new, just letting them know how much it really means. Just like you said, I think the intensity with the position that we’re at right now is always going to be, you know, the stakes are high right now. So just being being focused on this week and being focused on the team as well.”
The Ducks are coming off a bye week, which Bassa said came at the right time. “Yeah, it was real valuable. You know, playing eight straight games in the Big Ten, you know, is not easy. So, yeah, no, it was real valuable to the team. Kind of just get a, you know, break from football mentally a little bit. You know, I got a chance to watch some college football this weekend as well. So, yeah, no, it was real great.”
As for Washington’s Jonah Coleman and Ashton Jeanty, Bassa recognized their talents. “Yeah, real good back. Yeah, familiar with him when he was at Arizona, so real good back,” Bassa said of Coleman. When asked about comparisons to Jeanty, he noted, “Yeah, really explosive and can make guys miss in open field and then, you know, between the lines through the tackles as well. So, yeah, a little bit of comparison there.”
Bassa also acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining an undefeated record. “Oh, yeah, no doubt. Yeah, you can’t play, you know, you can’t play low to a lower high based on the opponent that you’re playing, right? So, yeah, no, just watching all the games over the weekend, it really just, you know, it opened, I think it opened a lot of people’s eyes that, you know, college football, this day and age of college football, that, you know, a lot of teams are real good and teams are coming to play each week. So you got to be, you got to be dialed up and ready to go each week.”
Preparing for Washington’s dual quarterbacks, Bassa broke down the differences. “Yeah, we know number two, more athletic quarterback than, you know, number seven. But it’s really two different types of types of games that, like you said, just with the with me going up against, you know, the helmet communication on both ends. So, yeah, I just I got to be on my A game, you know, letting the coaches know what I’m seeing out there and then also them letting me let me know what to be prepared for as well. So that’s going into my film study that I love doing so.”
Bassa praised the athleticism of Demond Williams, Washington’s No. 2 quarterback. “Yeah, young guy, and he can make a lot of guys miss in space. Yeah, so got a lot of respect for him for what he’s doing at that quarterback position over there.”